


And She Never Wanted to Leave...

by LenoreFrost



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Episode: s08e02 A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Jenny of Oldstones - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-16 11:55:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18690985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LenoreFrost/pseuds/LenoreFrost
Summary: A one-shot based on the beautiful and haunting song "Jenny of Oldstones," best read with Podrik's lovely voice singing in the background.





	And She Never Wanted to Leave...

She awoke to the sound of thunder rumbling through the old stones like the snore of a slumbering dragon.  Wakefulness did not come all at once, nor harshly.  It crept in, urged along by the thunder and the _patter_ of raindrops on the window.  It was warm and dry in her bed under the covers, so she remained there, but she opened her eyes to watch lightning crackle in the distant night sky.  It reflected strangely in the rain droplets and on the foggy glass, more a glow than a slash across the sky.

She loved to listen to the rain.  It sang a gentle, sad song, one she’d listened to so very many times.  It was soft and supple, ever-present.  It was there for good or ill, softening the earth, washing away the blood from battle-fields, the grime from old stone walls, the tears from cheeks.

A sigh escaped her.  She could not lie here awake and alone all night.  There was somewhere she could go, though, where she wouldn’t be alone.

Lightning flashed over her as she slid the covers down and the thunder grumbled its pleasure as she laid her bare feet on the stone floor that was as soft and cold as snow.  The air was frigid and she was tempted to crawl back into bed or at least to take her blanket with her, but she decided against either option.  No.  She wanted to be close to those she loved and this was the only way.  She had to embrace the cold and the rain and everything that came with them.

The chamber door creaked as she exited the room and the thumber rumbled again, echoing through the narrow corridor.  The castle was full of dark, winding hallways and close rooms, but it had its open spaces too.  She glided along the corridor as if in a trance and, in a way, she supposed she was.  At least, that was what anyone who came upon her would think.  But she was entirely lucid.  This was all real and all her choice.

She had not brought a candle with her, which made the spiral stairwell treacherous.  She descended slowly, creeping through the dark, feeling with her bare toes for the hidden edges of the steps.

From the base of the stairs, a broader corridor led to the great hall, where a fire blazed merrily in the hearth at all hours, even this one.  The thunder and rain were inaudible here, their song too soft to reach through so many layers of stone.  The fire was oh-so-inviting, but this would not do.  She walked past it across the hall, and into another long corridor.

There were places she could have stopped, parlors with their own small fires, sitting areas with broad windows looking out at the rainy night.  They were not her destination, though.  She would still be alone there.

Her long walk at last led her to a great oak door that she struggled to push open alone.  Its hinges protested angrily, but she paid them no heed.  Beyond, the pattering of rain and the grumbling of thunder waited.

She shut the oak door behind her and stepped onto the covered terrace which surrounded the castle’s courtyard.  The courtyard was large and square, its floor the same stone of the castle that had been softened not just by thousands of feet, but also by the elements.  The stone was designed to slope gently inward to drains at the foot of a great fountain which bubbled with water in its three tiers throughout the day and the night.  Lightning crackled across the sky, followed immediately by its friend thunder, and lit the courtyard in shades of white and grey.  Rain tumbled down on the stones, bouncing and then sliding downward towards the fountain from all sides.  From the edge of the roof, it fell in thin sheets like silk onto the very edge of the terrace, some droplets leaping backwards and finding her feet.  The rain was even colder than the stone, it was late autumn after all, and the sensation was startling, but she stepped forward anyway until her feet peeked out into the courtyard.  The rain fell on them and a smile broke out on her face at the feeling of freshness and life.  She kept her eyes downcast as she stepped forward into the courtyard, letting the cold rain fall in rivulets over her hair and face, letting it seep into her nightgown, letting it pool briefly between her toes before rushing on.

She shut her eyes, that smile still alive in her lips, and raised her face to the sky so the rain dropped directly onto her face, so soft and cool.  The thunder rumbled a welcome to her and she extended her arms out to embrace the night.

When she lowered her face and opened her eyes, he was there, his eyes like the lightning peering through raindrops on her window, his skin and hair pale and translucent, his smile bright and joyful.  He offered his hand to her and she accepted it, her heart beginning to warm and race beneath her breast.

He walked her into the courtyard, into the rain, and spun her in a smooth arc around the courtyard, her feet fearless on the slick stones.  His hand was cool and soft in hers, so supple like the rain.  He spun her outward, then with a flick of his wrist twirled her inward towards him, catching her easily in his battle-trained arms.  With their faces so close together, she blushed through her smile, then he bent to the side, dropping into a sweeping dip that just dragged the ends of her hair through the rainwater.  She laughed and he lifted her to her feet once more, and then they were spinning again, laughing innocently together.  She never wanted to leave.

Lightning lit the courtyard once more and as it crackled across the sky, he lifted her up and turned to spin her in the air.  She squealed with laughter and he let her fall through his hands until he caught her once more and set her back on her feet.  And then outward they spun and inward once more, turning around the fountain merrily.

He held her close and kissed her cheek, rain dripping from his lips to her skin.  Then, he spun her outward until her hand slipped from his and she stumbled to the edge of the courtyard.

She was about to lose her footing when hands clasped hers and she looked up into more familiar eyes set in another familiar face.  Warmth bubbled inside her chest and she returned his smile as he adjusted his grip on her hands, then led her in a sweeping waltz back out into the courtyard. 

The rain was falling harder now, a cool blanket blocking out all the noise and madness of the outside world.  There was no war here, no hunger, no politics.  There was only the rain and the quiet castle and the dance.

He spun her gently outward, then pulled her back, her hands clasping his once more.  Then, they swayed side to side, stepping always onward, one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three.  He lifted her carefully just off her feet, then set her down firmly once more.  She smiled at his gentleness, his caution, and he seemed almost to blush.  She never wanted to leave.  So, onward they danced once more.

At last, they paused and he bent to kiss her hand.  And then, his eyes like muted lightning locked on hers, he spun her outward once more.  She was still looking him in the eye when her free hand was clasped and he let her go.  Then, she looked to her new partner.

She was lovely as always, her skirts moving around her like a waterfall as she tugged her along in a half-dance, half-run across the courtyard, laughing and skipping.  She couldn’t help joining in the laughter, it was infectious, and then they were leaping through the air together, their skirts billowing around them, heavy with the rain.  Their hair whipped outward, always let loose when there was rain to dance in, and moved around them like a wave.  The stone was hard to come down from their jumping dance onto, but her feet were all but numb, now, so it was no matter.

The thunder rippled around them, sending chills along her rain-soaked skin, and the girls laughed together as they used to.

She jumped up onto the ledge of the fountain, tugging her along with.  They laughed like children and ran a stumbling lap around the fountain’s edge, then leapt back down onto the floor once more.  She never wanted to leave.

Their dance sent them colliding, still laughing, and spun around wildly with their arms about one another.  Then, she stumbled right out of her arms…and into the arms of another.

And so on and on it went late into the night, the dance ever joyful, ever innocent, ever protected by the rain and the thunder and the lightning.  She never wanted to leave.

So, she never did.


End file.
